Trump Administration Considers Bringing Back The Food Pyramid
The original US food pyramid, released in 1992, had bread, cereal, rice and pasta as its base, with proteins in the middle and fats, oils and sweets at the top.
President Donald Trump’s administration is considering bringing back the food pyramid when it updates the nation’s dietary guidelines later this year, according to people familiar with the discussions.
The new graphic’s exact form is still being discussed, according to the people, who aren’t authorized to speak publicly about ongoing discussions. The visual is expected to emphasize protein, the people said, as well as whole foods, according to one of them.
The US agriculture and health departments are slated to update the dietary guidelines before the year’s end. The federal government eliminated the food pyramid graphic in 2011, replacing it with the “MyPlate” symbol instead, which emphasizes eating fruits, vegetables, grains, protein and dairy.
The original US food pyramid, released in 1992, had bread, cereal, rice and pasta as its base, with proteins in the middle and fats, oils and sweets at the top. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other top health officials have criticized past nutrition advice and said saturated fat has been unfairly demonized.
“Secretary Kennedy is committed to new dietary recommendations that are rooted in rigorous science,” a spokesperson for the Health and Human Services Department said Thursday. “The 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans will be a big part of the Trump Administration’s commitment to Make America Healthy Again.”
A spokesperson for the Agriculture Department said the updated guidelines “will address the chronic disease epidemic plaguing our nation, by prioritizing whole, healthy, and nutritious foods.”
